Seymour Cassel

A blond, often mustachioed, and scruffy character player best known as an integral member of John Cassavetes' informal clan of actors, Seymour Cassel received an early introduction to show business, traveling with a troupe of touring burlesque performers that included his mother. After living for several years in Panama, where his family owned a nightclub, he moved to NYC to pursue an acting career, studying with the American Theatre Wing and with Lee Strasberg's famed Actors Studio. Cassel met Cassavetes at the future director's 46th Street acting workshop in 1957, eventually teaching alongside him and serving as associate producer on Cassavetes' directorial debut, "Shadows" (1960). A versatile, engaging talent, Cassel made the first of seven appearances for Cassavetes in "Too Late Blues" (1961) and also acted three times under director Don Siegel. He first achieved prominence as an aging hippie street hustler who saves a middle-aged housewife (Lynn Carlin) from suicide in Cassavetes' "Faces" (1968), earning an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. His largest role for Cassavetes came as yet another hippie opposite the director's wife Gena Rowlands in "Minnie and Moskowitz" (1971), a kitchen sink romantic comedy with roles galore for Cassel and Cassavetes family members.

Cassel went on to fashion a prolific career, splitting his time between big Hollywood pictures and independent features in the spirit of Cassavetes. He delivered a colorful supporting turn as Cheese, one of the "Tin Men" (1987), appeared as Sam Catchem in "Dick Tracy" (1990) and paid tribute to Gabby Hayes as Skunker, Klaus Maria Brandauer's prospecting pal in "White Fang" (1991), a film which introduced him to executive producer Andrew Bergman. After stealing the show from Steve Buscemi as the over-the-top, fast-talking hood of Alexandre Rockwell's indie "In the Soup" (1992), he teamed with director Bergman for first "Honeymoon in Las Vegas" (also 1992) and later "It Could Happen to You" (1994), both starring Nicolas Cage. Other memorable 90s films include Adrian Lyne's "Indecent Proposal" (1993, as Robert Redford's chauffeur), Buscemi's directing debut "Trees Lounge" (1996, playing Uncle Al) and Wes Anderson's "Rushmore" (1998, as Jason Schwartzman's barber father.)

• Born:
  January 22, 1935 in Detroit, Michigan
• Job Titles:
  Actor, Director, Producer

Family

• Mother-in-law: Elsie Ames. appeared in "Minnie and Moscowitz" (1971) and "A Woman Under the Influence" (1974)

Significant Others

• Companion: . pre-Deering relationship produced a daughter

Education

• Actors Studio, New York, New York

Milestones

• 1958 Broadway debut, "The World of Suzy Wong"
• 1960 Film debut in "Murder, Inc."
• 1960 Served as associate producer on John Cassavetes directorial debut, "Shadows"
• 1961 First apppearance in a Cassavetes film, "Too Late Blues"
• 1964 Appeared with Cassavetes in Siegel's "The Killers"; also featured Ronald Reagan in his last screen role
• 1964 TV-movie debut in Don Siegel's "The Hanged Man" (NBC)
• 1968 Received Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his aging hippie who saves Lynn Carlin's character from suicide in Cassavetes' "Faces"
• 1968 Reteamed with Siegel for "Coogan's Bluff"
• 1971 Reunited with Cassavetes, opposite the director's wife Gena Rowlands in the kitchen-sink comedy "Minnie and Moskowitz"; played yet another aging hippie
• 1978 Played Governor Haskins in Sam Peckinpah's "Convoy"
• 1979 Delivered a nice turn as one of the leads of "California Dreaming"
• 1982 Jailed for conspiracy to sell cocaine
• 1984 Last film with Cassavetes, "Love Streams"
• 1987 Appeared in Nicholas Roeg's "Track 27"
• 1987 Offered a colorful supporting turn as Cheese, one the titular "Tin Men", directed by Barry Levinson
• 1989 Reteamed with Roeg for NBC movie, "Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth"
• 1990 Acted in Warren Beatty's "Dick Tracy"
• 1991 Portrayed Gabby Haysesque prospecting pal of Klaus Maria Brandauer in "White Fang", a remake of the Jack London novel (executive produced by Andrew Bergman)
• 1992 Acclaimed for his scenery-chewing performance as a fast-talking hood opposite Steve Buscemi's aspiring filmmaker in Alexandre Rockwell's "In the Soup"
• 1992 First association with Andrew Bergman as director, "Honeymoon in Vegas", starring Nicolas Cage
• 1992 Third collaboration with Roeg, "Cold Heaven"
• 1993 Played Robert Redford's chauffeur in Adrian Lyne's "Indecent Proposal"
• 1994 TV series debut as a regular, "Under Suspicion" (CBS)
• 1994 Reteamed with Bergman and Cage for "It Could Happen to You", portraying Jack Gross, a sly old slickster ready to help Cage and wife Rosie Perez plot their investment strategy
• 1996 Appeared as Uncle Al in Buscemi's "Trees Lounge"
• 1996 Was regular on the short-lived CBS series "The Cube"
• 1997 Acted in CBS miniseries "Mario Puzo's The Last Don"
• 1998 Portrayed Jason Schwartzman's barber father in Wes Anderson's "Rushmore"
• 2001 Starred in Wes Anderson's "The Royal Tenenbaums"
• 2002 Played Uncle Jack in the comedy "Stealing Harvard"
• 2003 Cast in the Farrelly Brothers' comedy "Stuck on You"
• 2003 Starred with John Corbett in the FX drama "Lucky" a dark comedy dealing with the lives and addictions of compulsive gamblers in Las Vegas
• 2006 Co-starred in Steve Buscemi's "Lonesome Jim"
• 2007 Co-starred with brothers Luke and Owen Wilson in "The Wendell Baker Story," a film co-directed by Luke and Andrew Wilson
• Acted in Cassavetes' "Killing of a Chinese Bookie" (1976) and "Opening Night" (1977)
• After high school, appeared in summer stock productions in Michigan
• As child, traveled with mother in a burlesque troupe
• Lived for several years in Panama where his family owned a nightclub